Ah! Can a broken heart still beat?
by Wedge Boyd
Summary: With Belldandy and Keiichi separated, and both of their lives crushed. Njord takes upon himself to convince the Almighty to allow them to be reunited, but will the Almighty listen... Sequel to Ah! The Elements that are Among us.
1. Chapter 1

Ah! Can a broken heart still beat?

Chapter 1

"Permanent Reassignment! What the hell for?" Urd shrieked across the table as the announcement was made. Belldandy was suddenly told that under the orders of the Almighty that he wanted her to return to heaven for a hearing. The Hearing would decide whether or not Belldandy would be permanently reassignment; everyone was shocked by this turn of events.

"The Almighty gave no reason for this, he ordered me to deliver the letter and bring Belldandy back to heaven." Njord announced.

"When does she need to go back?" Peorth asked Njord stunned.

"He wants her back within the hour." Njord announced, this added to the shock and everyone took their own turns looking at Belldandy and Keiichi as Njord retreated to the doorway and then looked at Belldandy and then Keiichi and said, "I'm sorry."

Keiichi sat alone on the porch as he looked out over the grounds and the forest. His thoughts conveyed to the happier times that he had; he sat in stunned silence as the sound of argumentation filled the rest of the grounds. Urd was on the phone tying to get in contact with the Almighty, but her complaints appeared to fall on deaf ears. As Keiichi heard the arguing he suddenly felt loving arms wrap around him, and fill his body with joy. Belldandy had come out to see him after changing into her Goddess Attire; she wrapped her arms around Keiichi; as he held on to them tightly.

"Keiichi-san?" Belldandy sensing the sadness the swelled inside him.

"In the back of my heart I knew this day would come; but I didn't think it would come this soon." Keiichi said softly as he stared into the grounds, unable to look at Belldandy.

"I know," Belldandy said holding on to him tightly. "This is just a hearing, and as long as you want me to be near you, I will never leave you."

Keiichi's hand slid down to meet her hands and then he turned and looking directly into her eyes and holding her hands tighter he said, "If he decides to separate us and sends you to the other side of the universe. I don't care how long I have to wait or search; I will find you!"

"I will be waiting for you!" Belldandy said as she hugged him and whispered in his ear, "I love you, my dear Keiichi!" Keiichi held her tighter and then opened to mouth and was about to say something, but.

"Belldandy!" it was Njord. Both Belldandy and Keiichi turned to him and found him standing in the middle of a circle of runes. He looked at her and said, "It's time!"

Belldandy turned back to Keiichi and looked into his eyes for a long time and then turned away form him. Her warm hand slid out of his, and the tips of his fingers were left cold in the mid-autumn afternoon. She walked out to where Njord was standing and took his place as he left the circle and stood on the rim. Everyone came out and stood near the door as Keiichi stood on the porch looking at Belldandy; his mouth hanged open and he was unable to speak.

"Open the Gate!" Njord said looking into heaven. In a second a violet light shot down from heaven and surrounded Belldandy; who still was looking at Keiichi. Her eyes swelled up with tears as neither one of them took their eyes off the other. Belldandy's feet slowly began to rise off the ground when Keiichi's tongue finally became loose and he cried out, "I LOVE YOU!"

Njord, Urd, Megumi and Skuld, along with Peorth, Sigel, Banpei-kun and Velsper watched as Keiichi came running off the porch and ran to the shaft of light that had encompassed Belldandy. He reached his arm into it in a last attempt to at least touch her, but the light and distance made his attempts futile as she slid upward out of reach. Belldandy even tried to reach him as she rose upward as her speed of accent increased.

"I LOVE YOU!" Keiichi cried as he reached into the light trying to touch her as she reached for him too

"KEIICHI-SAN!" Belldandy cried out as she rose higher and out of the range of his hand.

"BELLDANDY!" Keiichi again cried out, 'I NEED YOU! PLEASE DON'T GO!"

"I LOVE YOU!" Belldandy cried out, her voice fading out.

"I LOVE YOU TOO!" Keiichi cried out again, as she disappeared into the clouds and the light with her. "NO! PLEASE-I need you." Keiichi collapsed on the ground and buried his face into his hands and began to cry. Keiichi wept so hard and bitterly that his tears fell through his fingers like rain that fell from the clouds.

Keiichi's tears soaked into the grounds and turned the dirt into mud as his tears continued to fall through his fingers. As he continued to weep; Urd made her way slowly to him and knelt along side him and put one of her arms around his shoulder and said, "I'm sorry kid!" Keiichi then fell sideways into her arm and landed on her shoulder and continued to cry. Urd did not push him away, but instead continued to hold on to him; Skuld and Megumi walked over to him. Megumi looked at her brother and could not remember the last time she had seen him cry like this. Skuld just looked at Keiichi with her hands held firmly behind her; looking at Keiichi strangely. Peorth and the rest just stood in the doorway and watched as Keiichi continued to weep in Urd's arms. Finally, the shadow of Njord walked over and looked at Keiichi and then Skuld, Urd and Peorth; he said, "The order was for her alone!"

Njord then clasped his hands across his chest as he began to disintegrate and rise into the air; keeping his eyes on Keiichi until he at last vanished.

For the next few days everyone began to worry about Keiichi; he was not having nightmares about his run in with Loki. For the first two days he was sitting in his room and not doing anything but sit at his desk. He had not eaten or slept in those two days and as day three came along he still had not changed. Urd called Megumi and asked her to talk to him; she had talked to him for almost three hours, but got barely anything out of him. Chihiro and some of the Motor Club came over to try and cheer him up, but Urd turned them away except for Chihiro; who talked to him for a while.

As the week came to an end, Keiichi started to move around a little bit and ate a few things. On the first Saturday since Belldandy had left; Urd got up early and went to start fixing some of Breakfast. She pasted by Keiichi's room and peeping into his room, she saw that his bed was occupied, and heard some snoring. She smiled as Keiichi slept and went down to the kitchen and began to make breakfast.

As the morning sun continued to rise in the East and the day progressed; Skuld was sitting at the table working on a component for a new invention. Urd finished the breakfast almost two hours ago, and left a plate for Keiichi; all three Goddesses decided to leave Keiichi alone and let him sleep. But a few more hours continued to past and the clock read eleven o'clock, Skuld decided that was enough. She walked down to his room and popping her head in said, "Ok, Lazy get up!" but she got no response.

Skuld walked over and grabbing a handful of his blanket she ripped it off of Keiichi, but there was no Keiichi. The only thing underneath were some small part boxes and some towels and clothes that were placed strategically all over. Underneath the blanket was a small CD player that was set on repeat and small speakers the snoring noise. Skuld found a small note that was on top of the pile and was address to her, Urd and Peorth; she opened it up and read it. Skuld read over the note quickly and her eyes widened at first and then narrowed as she crumbled the letter and yelled, "URD, PEORTH!"

Keiichi leaned into a turn as he traveled up the highway that ran along the coastline cliffs that dotted Hokkaido. As he traveled up the road a cold misty rain fell on his goggles and he had to wipe them off with his sleeve. He was getting tired as he made his way through the windy turns; Keiichi had been driving for almost twelve hours straight. His whole body was tired, and the last few miles he knew would be the most difficult for him, but inside his mind it just told him to keep going.

Finally he drove through the city of Kushiro, the rain finally let up and the sun was finally was able to peak through the gray clouds. Keiichi navigated through the city and made his way to the other highway he would need to take him to his destination. Keiichi was heading for his parents home, but he was still not sure why he needed to go there. Keiichi mind raced as fast as his bike was taking him, he still wondered if this was the right thing he should do. Finally he saw the road he needed to take; he made the turn and saw two small columns of smoke that rose into the air.

He pulled his bike under the garage and turned off the bike and looked over the yard and the house. He could see one column of smoke rising from a small shop; and another from inside the house. Keiichi grabbed his bag that sat in the side car and walked thought he puddles and mud to the front door. With some pain that came from his sore arms and hands; he knocked on the door; in less than a minute the door was answered by Takano, his mother.

"Golly, if it isn't our bouncing Keiichi!" Takano greeted her son with her smile.

"Hello Takano." Keiichi said weakly as he was about to fall asleep right were he stood. Takano moved aside and let her son in and watched as he removed his muddy shoes and put them in a corner.

"She dumped you huh?" Takano said with the last of his emotion left, Keiichi jumped and looked at his mother for a moment with a surprised look on his face. Then the truth hit him and cut him to the heart and he turned away form her.

"You can say that?" Keiichi said slowly, Takano was about to say something again, but Keiichi was faster. "Mom, please don't; I really don't want to talk about it."

Keiichi picked up his bag and walked down the hallway and walked into his old room and he threw the bag on the floor. He collapsed against a corner of the wall and watched as a small spider formed a web in the corner. His eyes began to grow heavy and he struggled to keep them open, until sleep finally overcame him.

Keiichi woke up and found that he was staring into a deep blue sky that held no clouds. He raised himself up and looking around; found himself in the middle of a grassy plain that stretched for what looked like an eternity. He got to his feet and continued to look around and as he did he saw a small, but full tree in the distance. Keiichi looked at the tree for a minute and then the sound of a song reached his ears, it was a beautiful song that healed him of every pain he had ever felt; what more important to him was he knew who was singing it.

Keiichi ran through the grass towards the tree, his joy rose as did the grass blades, he knew it was Belldandy. He ran into taller and taller grass, at one point the grass was taller than him and he was only able to get his orientation with the sound of Belldandy singing. He finally broke through the grass and came into a clearing that was directly in front of the tree. The tree was massive to what it was when he first saw it, it towered over him; at the bottom was Belldandy dressed in her Goddess attire; but she had her back to Keiichi.

"Belldandy?" Keiichi mouthed as he took a step closer to her. She slowly began to turn around and as she did her face came into view and so did a smile of joy. Suddenly before Keiichi's eyes; Belldandy whole face and body changed, it morphed into Lord Loki. Keiichi stopped as Loki faced him; Loki looked at Keiichi and with an evil, triumphant smile, he raised his hand and fingers. With a snap, the tree and the clearing erupted into flames and rushed towards Keiichi as he said,

"I win!"

Keiichi eyes snapped shut in the clearing and suddenly snapped open again and found himself in his room. He felt the cold sweat running down his face, and the sudden pain he felt in his chest; the pain was excruciating but he did not scream. He felt a blanket that had been put over him, and saw a small plate of food that sat on a small desk for him. He looked around at the room and then his owns hands and then leaned back against the wall and breathed a depressed sigh.

"Everyone, by the time you get this letter I will be gone. We have been through a lot, but this time you can not help me. Please do not follow me, K1." Urd read the letter while holding the phone receiver to her ear and talking to Megumi. Urd held the crumbled letter tightly in her tight grip; Skuld and Peorth were listening next to her; Skuld was wearing a strange set of headphones.

"I guess he finally snapped." Megumi said over on the other line.

"No kidding, now we just need to find out where he went." Urd said over the phone.

"Well, the only place I can think of is his old room in our house in Hokkaido." Megumi stated.

"Why on Earth would he go there?" Urd asked, as Peorth and Skuld listened in.

"Whenever something's really bothering him he would lock himself away for hours." Megumi said.

Before Megumi even finished her sentence Skuld threw off her head phones and ran out of the house. Peorth followed her out but Skuld turned around and said, "Peorth I'm doing this alone."

"You're not the only one who cares about him, Skuld!" Peorth said trying to reason with him; Urd stood from the porch and watched as Skuld faced Peorth.

"I don't care about him! I only care about Onee-sama." Skuld said and before Peorth could respond she ran over to the pond in the corner of the grounds and jumping in a whirlpool she disappeared.

Keiichi was scrubbing some difficult mud off of his front rim of his BMW motorbike. When finished cleaning he put the brush back in the muddy, dirty bucket and picked it up and dumped the water in a small sink in the workshop. After cleaning out the last of the silts of the mud from the bottom; he added some soap and filled the bucket back up with warm water. He went outside to turn off the hose, and then came back in as the water and suds reached the top.

As he reached for the handle, the water began to glow with light that grew brighter and brighter. Then the water dropped into a whirlpool and then Skuld suddenly jumped out of the bucket. The suddenness of the event scared Keiichi for a second, and then seeing who it was he just got up.

"Eww! Gross!" Skuld screamed as she emerged out of the bucket.

"I didn't think you of all people would be the first one here." Keiichi said grabbing his bucket, carrying his bucket out of the shop.

"Sorry to disappoint you, but I wanted to deal with you first." Skuld retorted as she followed him out of the shop. Keiichi just ignored her as he put the bucket down in the ground in the garage and picked up the rag and soaked it in the bucket of water.

"I asked you three not to follow me so what do you want?" Keiichi asked bitterly as he started to clean his bike again.

"Why did you leave us?" Skuld asked as she walked around the bike to make sure that she would not leave his eyesight.

"Isn't that obvious?" Keiichi said looking up at her with an angry look on his face; he seemed more interested in cleaning his bike than talking to her.

"You had us worried sick, Keiichi! You just got on your bike took off and you just expected us to let you go?" Skuld retorted back at him; her anger rising.

"I didn't ask you to worry about me!' Keiichi said not even looking at her, just cleaning his bike.

"Well worrying about you was something that all three of us picked up from Onee-sama and believe me, sometimes you've needed it." Skuld responded to Keiichi comment.

This was a little too much for Keiichi, he stopped cleaning his bike and then looked at Skuld and said, "Why are you even here Skuld?"

"Why did you leave?" Skuld asked again, she looked directly into Keiichi's eyes showing him she would not back down.

"Why do you care?" Keiichi looked up at Skuld and then back at his rag that was on his cam cover.

"What do you mean by that?" Skuld looked at him with a shocked and angry look on her face.

"Nothing!" Keiichi looked away as he responded, he got up and dumped the dirty water out.

"You still have not answered my question, and I am not leaving until I get it!" Skuld said still looking at Keiichi.

"You're the self-proclaimed genius; surely you can build a machine that can tell you." Keiichi stated as his own anger grew inside him, as he filled up the bucket.

"JUST TELL ME KEIICHI!" Skuld screamed at Keiichi.

"WHY! WHY IN THE HELL SHOULD I TELL YOU ANYTHING?" Keiichi roared across the garage, his anger finally getting to him. "NOTHING IS GOING TO CHANGE THE PRESENT OR THE FUTURE, ALL I HAVE IS MY PAST! YOU'RE SUPPOSE TO BE A NORN YOU TELL ME!" Keiichi scream echoed through out the garage as the bucket was overflowed with water. "Why are even here, you wanted her to go back home, you wanted that ever since you came here. Every time you thought I got too close to her you either threw a bomb or you sicked Banpei-kun on me. Well you got your wish and mine has been ripped away from me!"

Skuld wanted to respond to this but she could not; her face flushed red with embarrassment and she looked away from Keiichi. She started to walk out of the garage, she turned around and looked back at Keiichi; his bucket was still overflowing with water.

"I won't deny the fact that the reason I first came was because I did want her to come back to heaven. I hated you for making your wish; I still do. But as time went on I saw something, she smiled more when she was with you more than I can remember then when she was in heaven." Skuld said softly almost with a whisper.

"Then you can understand why I ran away; she was everything to me, Skuld!" Keiichi said sounding calmer to Skuld.

"But why did you leave, Keiichi?" Skuld asked turning back to Keiichi.

"Before she came into my life, I felt I had no worth, I had nothing to offer to anyone. I won't deny either that when she came through my mirror all those years ago and told me that she would grant any one wish I had, I thought it was a joke. But as time went by she gave me a reason to try harder, she gave me a sense of worth. She became more then just a Goddess to me, Skuld; she became my best friend." Keiichi said looking at Skuld

"She felt the same way about you, and so do some of us." Skuld said to Keiichi; he was taken back a little by this comment.

"I guess we have an understanding." Keiichi said to Skuld.

"I guess we do, but I will ask, please come back." Skuld asked in a semi-pleading voice.

"Not now, just give me some time to clear my head, can you give me that?." Keiichi asked Skuld.

Skuld slowly nodded to Keiichi and then said to him. "Don't be surprised if we come to check on you."

"I'll keep a lookout." Keiichi said with a nodded and Skuld nodded back.

In the woods far beyond the garage Njord stood behind a tree and listened to the whole conversation that had taken place. He had also watched some of the conversation, he watched as Skuld and Keiichi argued in the garage, even though they had reached an understanding, something was bothering him. Keiichi's words were filled with pain that had affected Njord; he took a deep breath and began to vanish in the air, as he did he grabbed his right hand and held onto it.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

The moment Belldandy returned to Heaven she as ordered to report to the High Council Room. The only thing she was asked was about her experiences she had on Earth, and nothing gave her a clue as to why she was called back to Heaven. After the questions Belldandy was told she would be assigned to work in the Yggdrasil Control Room with Freyja and a few others. Freyja was there and after she was excused from the Council Freyja and Belldandy walked out of the room and to the Control Room.

Belldandy and Freyja were assigned to work on a new prototype scanner that was being developed. The Scanner was a new level Nine Scanner for Yggdrasil that had been built but remained untested. Belldandy and Freyja were assigned as leaders over the research team that consisted of Ere from the Control center, Asher who was an Yggdrasil Debuggers and a young looking Goddess named Noghin. The scanner was set up in Yggdrasil mainframe so Ere was responsible to run the actual test with Freyja; Noghin and Asyer set up the scanner in the mainframe and Belldandy's job was just to collect the data.

The first test went off with out any problems and the data that was collected proved to be very insightful. The new scanner according to the reports was able to detect about fifteen percent more that the Level Eight scanner. Belldandy gathered the data as Freyja watched her from inside the Control Room; she could see that something was bothering her. Belldandy was very well at trying to hide her feelings from the others, but Freyja was able to see right through.

"Belldandy!" A voice called up from the floor. Freyja and Belldandy walked over to the railing and looked down. Asher was standing there at the bottom with Urd; Urd looked up and smiled at her sister. "You got a visitor!"

Belldandy smiled back at Urd and then turned around and looked at the pile of reports that waited for her to collect. Freyja looked at the reports and then looked at Belldandy and said, "Go on I got this!"

Urd and Belldandy sat down in the shade of a tree that was near the Administrative Building that housed the Scanner. The tree was in a small garden that dotted along the buildings and few people walked through this garden. Urd looked around to make sure that Belldandy and her were alone and then Urd looked at her sister and said, "How are you holding up?"

"I miss him Nee-san." Belldandy said honestly to Urd. "When I accepted the wish in the beginning I did miss home, and I looked forward to when I could come home. But now after all the time I had been with him and everything we had done, I miss him more."

"I know you do." Urd said comfortingly to Belldandy, and then asked, "At your hearing's parliamentary questions did they give you any hint as to why you were called back?"

"No." Belldandy simply said hanging her head low.

"Did you even get a chance to ask him?" Urd asked in a shocked tone referring to the Almighty.

"No, as soon I was done with the questions, he gave me the reassignment and I was sent to the Control Room." Belldandy said in her honest fashion as she kept her eyes on Urd.

"Well then, looks like daddy and I need to have a chat!" Urd said; she sounded completely menacing.

"Urd don't." Belldandy said shaking her head at her sister.

"Well if he's not going to tell you then he's got tell someone!" Urd said, sounding completely passionate. "No one separates anybody from someone they care about and not tell them and expect them to fall in line!"

"Urd if you do that you will get in trouble." Belldandy said pleading to her sister.

"Why, your all alone on this, I am not going to let him do this to." Urd repeated with sheer determination.

"I'm not alone in this!" Belldandy said to Urd.

"What?" Urd said looking confused at Belldandy comment.

"Before I left the Council room, Lord Njord pulled me aside and told me that he would handle this." Belldandy announced. Urd looked at Belldandy and was shocked at her announcement.

"Njord said he's going to handle this?" Urd said sounding unconvinced, but a reassured look from Belldandy eased her anger. "Well Njord's a good guy, so I guess I can handle that and leave this to him."

Belldandy nodded in assent and then looked at Urd and asked, "How's Keiichi-san?"

Belldandy was surprised by Urd's reaction to that question and watched as Urd turned away and then looked back at Belldandy as she said, "I hate to be the one to tell you this but, Keiichi went back to Hokkaido."

Belldandy felt her heart drop and her body go numb at Urd's announcement and then she asked, "When?"

"In Earth time-" Urd said; thinking in her head. "About a week ago, he just bolted and Megumi told us that when he gets like this he would hang out in his room. Skuld tracked him down had a talk with him. She would not tell me much, but it must have been some talk."

Belldandy stood up and walked over to the gate to the garden and looked out over the vastness of heaven. Urd stood up and slowly approached her and heard soft sobs that came from Belldandy, but then they stopped. Belldandy turned around and with a smile on her face she said to her sister, "This is not farewell, and he does not have any desire to leave. This is my hope and as I even stay here he wants me by his side and he is waiting, and so I will wait too."

"I'll tell him that!" Urd said as she and Belldandy walked out of the garden. In one of the buildings that was near the garden there was a row of pillars that was lined up outside. From behind one of the pillars Lord Njord stood behind and listened to the conversation and holding on to his forearm he breathed a despairing sigh as he leaned his head against the pillar.

Njord sat in his chair as another Council Meeting as underway, this time the meeting was about the new Level Nine Scanners first test. Njord wasn't even listening as Erda gave the report before the council; his mind was else where. As Erda finished the report to the council; Keiichi's words flashed through his mid, 'she was everything to me!' and then came Belldandy's words, 'I miss him.' The words cut Njord to his core and even sparked a fresh pain in his arm; Erda finished the report and the Almighty opened the floor to questions. The meeting became an echo of voices as Njord seemed to slip into his own void of lost thoughts. Njord did not even try and formulate a question, but one did come up that did bring him out of the void.

"So did the scan find the pocket that Loki used in his insurrection?" Dagr asked Erda.

Erda answered the question as Njord was brought out of his void, not by the question in general, but by the name, Loki. As Loki's name rang in his ears, the memories swarmed through Njord's mind of his fight with Loki. Njord had called down a massive tornado and then Loki tired to escape with Keiichi's soul. Njord chased him to upper atmosphere and then grabbing him he slammed him into the ground from more than fifty thousand feet! Njord grabbed his arm as it winched in pain from just the memory of the impact with the ground.

The anger that flowed from Njord was enough to consume his body rather quickly and almost felt like a poison in his veins. Before he allowed to completely consuming his whole being he was able to control it and then suppress his angers. He then looked around to see if anyone may had sensed his anger; as he scanned the group no one else's eyes met his except the Almighty himself! The Almighty and Njord's eyes met for a moment and then Njord lowered his eyes and his head away from the Almighty and did not look at him for the remainder of the Council.

"Very well, I will call this council adjourned." The Almighty said after a few more minutes. The Council rose, in unison, but it was Njord that arose the quickest and made the attempt to leave first. "Njord, stay a moment!"

Njord looked at the Almighty and then nodding to the creator he sat back down in his chair like an obedient child. The room cleared out at this point as the last of the Council members left the Council room leaving Njord and the Almighty alone in the room. The Almighty turned and looked at Njord and both looked at each other rather uncomfortably for a while until the Almighty broke the silence.

"Njord I am giving you a chance to explain yourself." The Almighty said not sounding sharp, but more calm.

"Perhaps if I knew your question, My Lord?" Njord responded sounding respectful in his confused tone.

"During the meeting, Lord Dagr stated Loki's name and I felt a surge of hatred form you, and I am giving you a chance to explain yourself." The Almighty expounded for Njord.

"My lord, Loki's betrayal affected many, some worst than others and in the course of our fight Loki and I injured each other with wounds that will take some time to heal. My anger is only the result of that fight and of his betrayal and those he hurt. That is my explanation my Lord." Njord said sounding truthful.

"I see." The Almighty said sounding quite contempt with Njord's explanation.

"Will that be all My Lord?" Njord said suddenly. The Almighty looked up in surprise at the quickness of Njord's question and the sudden eagerness that was found in his voice.

"Yes, you are free to leave." The Almighty said; Njord rose form his chair and bowed to the Almighty which was returned. Njord left the Council room as quickly as the words had left his mouth, leaving the Almighty alone in the Council room with a sense of doubt that began to swell inside him.

Disclaimer: All original characters of 'Oh! My Goddess' belong to Mr. Kosuke Fujishima and are under copyright of Dark Horse Comics. Njord and Loki and other characters as related are of my own invention and not associated with Oh! My Goddess.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Megumi slid her keys into the lock of apartment, the sun was now completely gone, and night had taken over. Megumi's strength was almost completely drained as she had returned from visiting Keiichi in Hokkaido. She had thought about the whole experience on her train ride south, and the short motorcycle ride from the train station. Megumi opened her door as she thought about the heartache she witnessed from her brother. It had been almost three months since she had found out that Belldandy and her sisters, and Peorth were Goddess. It had been as long as the same time since Belldandy was called back to heaven for a reassignment, and her brother's return home to Kushiro.

Megumi closed the door and turning on a light in her apartment she set her motorcycle on the floor with her keys inside the helmet. She removed her coat as she walked over to the closet and opening the door she reached for a hanger. Megumi placed her jacket on the hanger and then reached the hanger and coat back on the rack.

"Was Hokkaido fun?" a voice suddenly erupted behind her.

Megumi jumped and turning around she saw someone sitting crossed-leg style on her table. Megumi could not identify the man because he was wearing a forest green cloak, and his face was covered with a hood. Megumi back a little further into her closet and feeling her hand around the closet found the handle to her softball bat and Megumi gripped it very tightly.

"I wouldn't do that?" the voice said came from under the cloak.

"Who are you?" Megumi asked as her grip and muscles tightened for a strike.

"You should know." The voice said and then hands reached up to the hem of the hood and lowered to reveal the person; it was Njord. Megumi's hand and arm relaxed but not her shock that suddenly turned to anger,

"Just because your god does not mean you can come into my house whenever you want." Megumi said as she walked into her Southeast room and sat down on a bean bag, and started to remove her ankle covers.

"Well in that case, you may have to cut off some of the basics." Njord said, with out moving from the table; something that only further irritated Megumi.

"What do you mean that by?" Megumi asked strongly as she removed the first buckle; Njord finally got off her table and stood in the doorway.

"Well if you really don't want me in here you will need to seal all windows and shut off the fans and water." Njord said calmly, almost in a teasing tone as he looked at Megumi as she was halfway done removing the final buckle.

"Why should I do that?" Megumi said as she fuddled with the last strap.

"I told you, I am in every breeze and in every tempest, so if you want me out your going to have to completely cut off all these things." Njord said to her as Megumi finally got the last buckle off and threw it off to the side. Megumi looked away from Njord and sighing as she shook her head she looked back at Njord.

"Why are you here?" Megumi asked in a very serious tone.

"You called me here." Njord told her truthfully, still looking at her.

"I called you, I didn't call you here." Megumi said in a disbelieving tone.

"Sure you did on your trip back." Njord said and then Megumi remembered. She was riding on the ferry that took her from Hokkaido to Honshu when she got to thinking about her visit with her brother and wishing to speak with someone from Heaven, she thought of Njord. "That is why I'm here, so what did you want to talk about?"

Megumi looked at the floor for a moment, gathering her question and courage to ask her question she finally asked Njord, "Why did he separate him?"

Njord took a breath and then looking at Megumi he said, "I don't know."

Megumi knew this answer and it did not satisfy her one bit and she asked, "You didn't think to ask him?"

Njord looked at her with his deep blue eyes and then said, "You think I didn't ask?" Njord spoke with his voice lowering and then continued, "He gave me the order and when I asked he only said, 'Njord you have your task!'"

"What are you planning to do about it?" Megumi said standing up and looking into Njord's eyes with her own fire growing inside her.

"I'm working on it." Njord responded to Megumi's questions as he was trying to keep his demeanor calm.

"You're working on it? What about Kei-chan, he left Nekomi because all he could think about her, and he misses her." Megumi said as her voice grew to a point of almost yelling.

"So does Belldandy!" Njord simply stated, this got Megumi's attention and her level of frustration lower almost instantly. "She misses him more than anything; she hasn't smiled since she came back." Njord said to Megumi as she sat back down in her bean bag.

"I am planning to speak to the Almighty about this, but it will take some time. There are procedures and protocol I have to follow, I just can't barge into his presence and demand their re-joinment, but I am working on it." Njord said and then turning around he walked towards Megumi window in her kitchen and before touching it he added, "Besides, there was another reason that I came here."

Megumi sitting in her room looked at Njord and said, "What?"

Njord turned and touching the window he said, "I wanted to see you, because I did miss you." In an instant after saying this he had vanished and left Megumi to her thoughts.

Keiichi self-exiled passed into another month as the autumn began to change into early winter. The once gold and brown and had all fallen off the trees and covered the ground. The winds from the sea began to pick up and scattered the leaves all over the grounds of the Morisato residence. The leaves danced with the wind and the first hints of the winter breezed in with them.

Keiichi sat in his room and looked out the window and stared into the dance of the leaves and wind that preformed in front of him. His gazed turned to the calendar that hung on his wall near his futon that was rolled up and lying in a corner. The cross outs over the day marked the time he had been home, a total of almost two months. In the corner, next to his futon was a book bag that had held his clothes he had packed and his jacket and bike helmet that he rode up on. His clothes had been unpacked and folded in his old dresser, but he had always had his book bag and jacket ready for when he felt he could go back to Nekomi.

After two months he was ready to return in his heart, but his mind was unable to convince him that he was not yet ready. His feelings continued to plague him, almost hourly and would even cause his chest to hurt him more. Urd and Skuld came and visited him about a month ago, and he talked to them about his feelings. They offered to just take him, but he turned them down saying that he would only return when his heart and mind agreed it was time to return.

Keiichi turned away form the calendar and grabbing his helmet and jacket walked out into the overcast morning. His parents had left earlier in the day to go to the market where Keima sold some of his vases and glassware items. Keiichi walked over to the garage and started his bike and drove it out of the grounds and out onto the coastline road. Keiichi had taken this route before when he needed to think, and again he went out on the road.

Keiichi drove for about two hours to a small part of the road that overlooked the ocean. Keiichi sat on the guard rail that only protected him from the sheer forty foot drop that took you directly to the rocks below. He looked out over the vast ocean and thought about the first date he and Belldandy had, how he slipped on the soda can and she had caught him and they kissed, but she had collapsed before she had even noticed. Then came of the memory of when he and Belldandy stood on the top of the three stones on the ocean and how she had told she loved him, but he could not tell her because Skuld jumped between him and confessed to Skuld instead.

Keiichi watched as the ocean sprayed the rocks and consumed them for a few seconds only to withdraw and then repeat the process again. As he watched he felt small rain pellets began to hit him, signaling that rain was beginning to fall. Keiichi got up from the guard rail and tightening his jacket around him he got back on his bike and turning around he started back home.

Keiichi made the turns that he had made many times on the drive that he was taking before. His goggles started to fog up so he took them off and then switched to his visor that he had on his helmet. The rain began to fall more and heavier and he started to drive slower and slower as the road became more and more difficult to drive on. As he drove he began to see small snowflakes sticking to his visor, he would use his hand to try to clear them off, but he ended up smearing the snow and rain.

Suddenly as the snow and rain began to mix before his eyes, an image of Belldandy flashed before his eyes. Keiichi was sure his eyes were playing tricks on him, but his heart slowly broke again and again as the same image played over again and again like a song on a CD that just skipped. Keiichi's eyes swelled up inside him as he tried to stay focused on the road and his driving, but the only concentration that he could have was seeing the image and the anger and hurt that built up inside of him. The pain of seeing Belldandy crying as she rose back into heaven filled his heart with the pain and anger as the speed also piled on, and then the inevitable happened.

Keiichi tried to take a turn to sharp and on top of that the road was slick with rain and snow, and he lost traction. Keiichi suddenly snapped out of the images and found himself in trouble as he slid across the road heading for a guard rail that divided the road form a sheer sixty foot drop! Keiichi pulled the brake lever for the back brake, and then stomped on the front brake lever, but the brakes locked as he continued to slide towards the guard rail. The Guard rail got closer and closer; Keiichi shut his eyes and braced for the impact and the fall; but instead he felt something grab him and the next thing he knew landing on something hard. Keiichi opened his eyes and found himself staring at the pebbles of the road and looked up in time to watch his bike finish the slide and smash into the guard rail.

The bike hit the guard rail so hard that the bike shut off as soon as it hit. The bike bounced off the guard rail and hoped a few inches on the dirt patch that was near the guard rail and came to a stop. The bike started to hiss out small vents of steam that shrouded the lower half of the bike, but not before Keiichi saw that oil was dripping out of the oil pan and his front tire was flat. Keiichi got up and walked over to his wounded friend and looked over the damage himself. His sidecar was worst off then the bike, not only was the windshield shattered, but the tire was flat and his rearview mirror had snapped off.

Keiichi looked at the bike and then getting his bearings and location grabbed the handles and started the push back up to his house. Keiichi knew that he was only fifteen minutes away from home on his bike, but now with pushing the bike it would take almost one hour. He pushed and pulled the bike over the slick roads as they rose and dropped in grade level along the landscape. Finally as his watch beep announcing the time as three o'clock in the afternoon he reached his driveway, his folks were still not home. Wasting no time he put his bike under the garage and then covered it with a blue tarp that Keima kept in a corner. As Keiichi finished putting the last of the tarp on, an envelope fell in front of him; Keiichi picked it up and looked at the front, it only had his name. Keiichi opened it and read the letter that was only a sentence.

Your anger will not solve anything any faster;

and your death will not get you closer to her!

A fresh wave of anger grew inside Keiichi and then he tore up the letter and then wading them up angrily he threw them into a puddle. He stormed out of the garage and stood in the mud as it oozed around his shoes and then felt the anger consumed him. He looked around at his home and then looked up into the sky as the rain and snow fell around him. With out even the will to try and stop himself he opened his arms and using all of his strength, he screamed, "_**WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO HUH?! DO YOU WANT ME TO JUST FORGET ABOUT HER; IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT!!!**_"

The only response he got was the continual rainfall and snow that continued to bite at his face. Keiichi kept his eyes and hand stretched outwards waiting for the response he wanted to hear, but nothing. Keiichi dropped his arms, but not his gaze for a moment and then looking down at his shoes he said, "Yeah, that's what I thought!" He walked slowly back to the house; removing his shoes and his jacket he went into his room to change. As Keiichi changed his clothes and put on a clean t-shit he looked over at his calendar and something on his desk caught his eye. He walked over and found another envelope similar to the one that fell out of the tarp out in the garage.

Keiichi read his name on the front; he was going to rip it up without reading it. He really wanted to, but something in his heart stopped him form even trying to rip it. Instead he found himself opening it like he had done in the garage, and slowly pulling the letter out read the simple sentence on the paper:

If you chose to trust nothing, then at least

trust one thing, the promise you made to her.

Keiichi read the letter over and over and then putting the letter back in the envelope he put it in his desk. Keiichi finished putting on his socks and then went to get something to eat, the words from the letter burned into his heart as he promised himself, "I will wait!"


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Njord sat in another council meeting concerning another test of the level nine scanners that was being added to Yggdrasil. This time instead of Erda giving the report; it was Peorth and Belldandy; both were standing before the Council. Peorth did most of the talking and Belldandy stood behind her to the left; the Council listened intently to the report. After an hour Peorth and Belldandy finished the report and then the Almighty opened the floor was opened to questions. Njord just looked at Belldandy and Peorth and like last time he did not ask any questions or say anything for that matter.

"So has the pocket that Loki used in his insurrection been found yet?" Mani asked Peorth. Njord's anger flared up again with the mention of Loki's name, but like last time he was able to contain it. Belldandy also had a bout of anger flare up, but unlike Njord she was unable to control it and many on the Council including the Almighty sensed it, but it was Mani who pressed the issue. "Belldandy explain yourself!"

"My Lord," Belldandy said bowing her head in shame, "My anger is only stemmed from Loki's betrayal and the pains that he inflicted on those who crossed his path."

"That does not excuse you from showing your anger before this Council, Belldandy!" Mani pressed the issue when it was more than resolved; this was enough for one member.

"She is allowed to show emotion before this council especially when we bring up the man who sought to destroy not only everything and everyone she loved but herself. She is also allowed to confront those who had supported the perpetrator and helped him, Mani so BACK OFF!!" the voice rang throughout the Council room everyone turned to the man who said it, it was Njord.

Everyone in the Council room looked at the anger that radiated from Njord expression. His gaze was fixed on Mani; who had sat back in his chair and remained quiet; Njord also sat back in his chair and then looked down and did not look back up for the rest of the meeting. A few more tense minutes passed before the Almighty excused Peorth and Belldandy from the Council room, he then called the meeting adjourned and everyone got up quickly until.

"_NJORD!_" The Almighty called out; stopping Njord in his footsteps and then said, "You stay!"

Njord returned to his seat and sat back down as the rest of the Council quickly left the Council room. When the doors shut; the Almighty and Njord sat alone in the Council Room and just looked at each other. A tense, but silent standoff insured as the Almighty waited, but Njord just looked back at the Almighty. Finally the Almighty broke the silence, "Njord, I am not asking for an explanation this time, I am demanding it!"

"My Lord, Mani knew what he did to support Loki in his insurrection, so he's the last person who should be condemning Belldandy. I would not stand for it, and if I had to do it again, I still would not stand for it." Njord responded to the Almighty's demand for an answer.

"So you felt that Mani was badgering Belldandy and you saw it fit to defend her." The Almighty said sounding skeptical at Njord's answer.

"Yes My Lord!" Njord said sounding respectful at the sound of the skeptical Almighty.

"I see!" The Almighty said as the last of Njord comments soaked in; before it finally satisfied him; Njord suddenly chimed in.

"Is that all, My Lord?" Njord said so fast that the Almighty was actually shocked at the quickness and veracity of Njord permission to be dismissed from his presence.

"Yes, Njord you are free to leave." The Almighty said, he wanted him to stay but he knew he couldn't make him. Njord stood up and bowed to the Almighty and proceeded down to the doors that lead out of the Council Room. When Njord reached the doors he extended his hand to the handles and pulled one open and then he heard form behind. "Njord!" It was the Almighty again, "The report you gave me was very insightful; without it I could not have made my decision and for that you have my thanks."

Njord stood with his hand frozen on the handle to the Council Room door, the door was adjured. Njord stood frozen in his stance as his mind began to play over in his head; he heard the cries that he had before. He heard Keiichi's, 'She was everything to me!' when he told this to Skuld, and then he heard Belldandy's, 'I miss him!' Both of these statements repeated over and over in Njord's mind as a battle of his wits fought inside him. Half of Njord's mind told him to turn around and talk to the Almighty, but the other half said to just leave and leave it alone.

"Is there something you wish to discuss with me Njord?" The Almighty said looking at the frozen Njord, aware of Njord's internal struggle. Njord came out of his trance-like state, but did not take his hand off his handle, neither did he turn and face the Almighty.

"Do I have an audience with your Lord-ship?" Njord asked with a small voice it was almost a whisper.

"You do." The Almighty said, his curiosity taking hold by this request.

"My Lord, may I speak with you not as a servant speaks to his master, but as an equal?" Njord asked, still not even turning to the Almighty.

"Very well Njord, as equals!" The Almighty said still intrigued by Njord's strange requests. Njord took a breath and then closed the door that boomed with an echo that ricocheted all over the Council room. Njord then slowly walked back over to the Gold line and then stood before it and faced the Almighty and then opened his mouth and found the words he wanted.

"My Lord, I wish to know; have you made a decision regarding Belldandy's reassignment?" Njord asked the Almighty.

"I have." The Almighty said to Njord in a tone that sounding that he was only allowing Njord go so far.

"My Lord, I wish to know your will and decision." Njord asked still sounding respectful. The Almighty leaned forward a little bit and the looking directly into Njord's eyes he gave his answer.

"My decision is that I will void out the contract that Belldandy had with the client, and I will permanently reassign her to the Yggdrasil Control Systems." The Almighty answered Njord question and looked at Njord whose expression was read in less than a second. "You disapprove, Njord?"

"Speaking as an equal my Lord; Yes I do!" Njord said with a force behind his statement.

"Why?" The Almighty said with a similar force that was outweighed by his curiosity.

"Because of two reasons My Lord; the first is if you do this you will condemn two people who care about each other to a fate worst than death, and one is your own daughter!" Njord said, the force in his words were small but enough force to be strong.

"What is the other?" The Almighty said his tone as rising as a warning to Njord.

"The other is because if you do this everything we believed in and everything we fought for down on Earth and everything I did will be wasted." Njord said with out a hint of regard for the Almighty's tone of warning.

"Wasted?" The Almighty asked in a calm but confused expression.

"Does My Lord remember why you sent me to the Earth?" Njord asked his tone relaxing a little; it sounded respectful.

"I sent you to serve as a deterrent to any one who sought to bring them harm. I also sent you to serve as an observer and to help this council decide if whether or not Belldandy and the human should remain with each other and you preformed your duty Njord nothing more and nothing less." The Almighty said with a sound of his pride in his voice towards Njord; something Njord did not share.

"Then you should have sent Loki!" Njord said before he could even stop himself, but he showed a sign of intention in his comment.

"What do you mean by that?" The Almighty said; his tone was that of someone shocked by such a comment.

"Loki wanted to separate them; he killed the human for that reason! He also tried to kill Belldandy when she still refused to leave, and furthermore he almost killed Peorth and Urd for trying to stop him. I fought to keep them safe from him, and I defeated Loki to get the human's soul back so that they may remain together only to have you decide to split them up!" Njord said trying to convince the Almighty to see the decision he made.

"My decision to split them up is my decision and mine alone and I will bear the consequences of my decision!" The Almighty said raising his tone to Njord.

"You are willing to bear the consequences, but not the responsibility!" Njord retorted to the Almighty. "You separated them, but you gave no reason for the separation, you just expected the human and Belldandy to just agree to this?"

"Belldandy is my daughter and I know her well enough to be assured that she will obey my wishes." The Almighty said confidently trying to convince Njord of his arguments.

"Do you know her well enough to know that she hasn't smiled since she came home? Do you know her well enough to know that she misses him more than anything? Belldandy is not the same girl that left all those years ago to grant his request; she's changed!" Njord said to the Almighty, not backing down his tone even a hertz. "How will you compensate for their broken hearts, and the tears both have shed out of the fear of never seeing the other again?"

"I will erase their memories to ease the suffering!" The Almighty said; this shocked Njord more than anything and lead to his expression change.

"You'll erase their memories?" Njord said shocked at the Almighty proposal. "No matter how omnipotent you are the only memories you can possibly erase is the ones in their minds, but the memories in their hearts you can not even graze!" Njord whispered through his teeth trying to contain his anger.

"Why are so passionate about this, Njord?" The Almighty said looking at Njord who still stood before him.

"What's that suppose to mean?" Njord said, his expression changing form argumentative to confusion as the Almighty changed the subject.

The Almighty stood up and walked over to Njord and stood before him; and he looked into his blue eyes. The Almighty searched inside Njord, and both looked at each other until finally the Almighty spoke two words, "Morisato, Megumi!"

"This has nothing to do with her." Njord said turning away, trying to walk away as his face turned red.

"Oh I think it has everything to do with her Njord!" The Almighty said to Njord as he watched him try and escape. "If I had decided to separate you from her, you would have been before me much sooner and much more passionate, would you not?"

Njord stood with his back to the Almighty looking at the floor as he felt all the blood rushing to his face with embarrassment. He lowered his head as he turned around and without looking at the Almighty he said, "Yes I would." He said with a small whisper.

Njord looked back up at the Almighty to find he was still standing and still looking at Njord. The Almighty did not look at Njord with anger but with caring and concern as he looked at his Councilman. Njord looked at his Lord with the same expression, but he still held some reservation about him.

"My Lord, I beg you to reconsider!" Njord said pleading in just a simple whisper.

"Njord, my will is final!" The Almighty said in a solid tone.

"Then at least tell them, you owe them that!" Njord said still pleading.

The Almighty said turning away form Njord and looking out the massive windows that looked over all of heaven and the Earth. Njord looked at the Almighty and waited for a response, but none came from him. Njord stood looking at him for a moment and then said, "Why will you not tell them?" Still the Almighty would not answer him.

"Will you still remain silent as your daughter dies of a broken heart?" Njord said, this made the Almighty look up, but not made him turn around at Njord.

"My will is final!" The Almighty stated once again to Njord.

"Then at least tell them why you're separating them they have a right to know!" Njord said looking at the back of the Almighty. The Almighty stood before the window, still not looking at Njord; Njord looked at his master and then sighed.

"Then you condemn Belldandy and Keiichi to death, I just hope the last of your mercy will make it quick!" Njord said softly, Njord turn around and slowly started to walk out of the Council room.

"What do want me to do?" The Almighty said to Njord, still not looking at him.

Njord turned back and looked at his master and then stopping to make sure he heard the words correctly. The Almighty finally turned and looked at Njord, but he could not read his expression as he looked at him. With out any form of control, Njord dropped to his knees and the turning his eyes to the ground he opened his mouth and said what came from his heart.

"My Lord, you asked me why I was so passionate about this; my reason is simple. When you sent me to Earth to watch over your daughters and the human, I saw something there that we had only heard of in legend. I saw the love that Belldandy had for the human and I saw the trust she had in him, I saw the bond that we had only heard of as rumors. I saw it with my own eyes and felt it even in my own heart and even when Loki tried to destroy it, he could not. Their love for each other is what allowed Keiichi to fight to stay alive, and it was the same love that made us want to create this world for these humans." Njord said to the Almighty with his eyes looking down at the stone floor. "That is why I have fought to keep them together."

Njord finished his statement to the Almighty and then further said, "As your servant, I ask only that you withhold your judgment of them until you meet with them and look into their hearts and try to see that love as I have."

The Almighty looked at Njord and then took a step back and looked back out the window. The Almighty had heard the very statement that Njord had just spoke and even he was moved by it. He looked back at Njord; who was still kneeling to him and then walking to him he said, "I will with hold my judgment for now, and I will meet with the human first and then Belldandy. If I find the love of which you speak of; I will reconsider!"

Njord stood up and bowed to the Almighty and turned to head to the door of the Council room. Njord raised his hand to the door handle, and lowering it to open the door he heard the Almighty again, "Njord!" his voiced boomed around the Council room and then he continued, "If I don't see it, I will separate them and you will bear their pain, alone!"

Njord turned to retort, but he held his tongue and simply nodded and then pulling the door more open he walked out of the Council room. The door shut with a massive boom leaving the Almighty alone in the Council room again with his emotions and concerns.

Disclaimer: All original characters of 'Oh! My Goddess' belong to Mr. Kosuke Fujishima and are under copyright of Dark Horse Comics. Njord and Loki and other characters as related are of my own invention and not associated with Oh! My Goddess.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: All original characters of 'Oh! My Goddess' belong to Mr. Kosuke Fujishima and are under copyright of Dark Horse Comics. Njord and Loki and other characters as related are of my own invention and not associated with Oh! My Goddess.

To my readers: This is the longest of all chapters I have written, and it will take sometime for you to read all of it. I know its long but I had to write it this long to get all what I needed written in. Thanks again for reading and please let me know what you think.

**Chapter 5**

Morisato Takano stood in the kitchen as she continued to prepare the dinner she was making. The boiling pot of water and the rice inside gave no hint as to the meal she had decided to make. Every now and then she would look down the hallway towards Keiichi room; she had never pried but she was beginning to worry about her son. It had been almost two month since her son came home, but he did not even tell her why.

Takano continued to prepare for the dinner when in the processes of doing so; a knock came at the front door. Takano put down her knife and lowered the temperature of the rice and went to answer the door, which had been knocked on a second time. Takano opened the door and slid the door open and looked at man who barely able to drive the truck that was behind him.

The man looked on older than seventeen, but he had no pimples, other blemishes that affected people his age. The only thing he had on his face that did not look like pimples were a small, blue upside down triangle under each eye. He was wearing a brown shirt and brown pants that barely looked like they fit him in his underfed looking frame. He had a smile on his face that almost scared Takano in either its creepiness or enthusiasms.

"Special Delivery!" The man said with tone of so much cheeriness that it frightened Takano. The man was holding a box a little small than a shoe box and it was covered with brown paper and a white string.

"Thank you!" Takano said as she took the package and then the man bowed to her and then said, "Please Sign!" The man pulled out a small clipboard and handed it to Takano. Takano took it and signed her name to the clipboard and then handed it back to the man.

"Thank you; have a good day!" The man said and then turned away and walked briskly back towards his truck. Takano looked at the box she had gotten and found something odd.

"Hey, there is no return address on this package!" Takano called out to the man but to her surprise, the man gone, and so was the truck he was in, only the fresh trail of truck tracks in the mud signal his stealthily departure. Takano looked out over the driveway and then looked at the package and slid the door shut still looking at who it was address to: 'Morisato Keiichi.' It gave no address, just his name. Takano walked down the hallway and knocking on her son's door she opened it to find him working on a piece of his bike.

"This was just delivered for you." She said and placed the package on the corner of his futon and started to leave. Keiichi looked at his bike part and then set the part down and walked down the hallway and stopped at the kitchen. Takano went back to work in the kitchen and then turned as Keiichi leaned against the doorway, his guilt read over his face.

"Takano?" Keiichi said; Takano turned and faced her son as she continued to work on the dinner. "I-um I jus-"

"Ah know already." Takano said reading Keiichi's his expressions. "It's written all over your face, boy."

"What is?" Keiichi said looking sad and confused at his mother.

"That you didn't know what to do since she left." Takano said to Keiichi; Keiichi knew this was the problem so it did not surprise him that she hit the problem right on the head.

"To tell you the truth, I don't even remember how I got here. I just got on my bike and drove and drove and next thing I knew; I was here. But now I just don't know what to do anymore." Keiichi said to his mother. She put down her spoon and turned off the pot of water that was boiling and then looked at her son.

"A long time ago, about three months before you were born Keima and I got into a big fight. I don't remember what it was about, but some words were said to each other and he stormed out and got on his bike and left. When he came home, he told me that as he rode around he seriously though about leaving, but as he drove he stopped at a small park near the ocean." Takano stopped and then looking at her son she said, "He got to thinking about his life and he told me that of all the things that had happened to him in his life he said the greatest accomplishment was him being a father and a husband." Takano turned around and looked at her husband working out in his shop and then told Keiichi, "That girl you were with was only woman other than Megumi and me who could get close to him. I know that she meant so much to you, if she didn't you wouldn't have raced Keima wouldn't you?"

"No I wouldn't have." Keiichi said, and then Takano turned around and walked back to her son and leaning close to him.

"I know that, and I also know she would have done the same." Takano said to her son; Keiichi looked at his mom and then gave her a hug. Takano and Keiichi embraced each other for a few seconds and then released as Keiichi looked back at Takano and said, "Thanks Mom."

"You betcha." Takano said and turned around and went back to preparing dinner as Keiichi went back to his room.

Keiichi went back to his room with the intentions of finishing his bike part, but as he passed his futon he spotted his package. Keiichi leaned down and picked it up and looked at suspiciously at just his name that was written on the package. No other clue was given to possibly give Keiichi a hint to its origin or even who sent to him. Keiichi loosened the white thread that was tied around the box, and then worked to get the brown paper that was wrapped around it. When the paper was taken off a small white box was revealed, it was about six inches on all for sides and only three inches high.

Keiichi looked over the small box and found that nothing was on it that looked dangerous. Keiichi reached and slowly took the lid off and looked inside the box; at the very top he found a small note at the top. He took the note out and using one hand he read the note that was address to him.

'Put on the gloves, and achieve a step closer in your goal.'

Keiichi looked back in the box and sure enough was a set of black gloves. These gloves were not like work gloves, neither were they like motorcycle gloves. But instead they were black gloves that were fingerless and had some soft plastic-like protection on the back of them. The gloves did have some Velcro-like cloth to connect them together across the back of the hands. The gloves also did look like they had seen service before, but nothing on the gloves gave any hint as to what service they may have been.

Keiichi looked at the gloves, and then he just shrugged his shoulders and bravely put the gloves on. After he tightened the last of the gloves on his hands he stretched his fingers inside them. Nothing happened to him; Keiichi took the note and read it again; as he did small part of the note suddenly appeared,

'Make sure you do this outside.'

Before he could even react; it happened. A light grew from the gloves and began to spread over his arms and then his body; panicking Keiichi tired to take the gloves off, but could not. When the light had finally encompassed him and before he could even react he felt his body rising into the air. Then feeling like a rocket Keiichi shot upward and went through the rafters and the roof of his home. In less than a second his house vanished from view and then he could see all of Hokkaido, and then Japan and then the whole Earth.

Keiichi couldn't even scream he was traveling so fast, he was going faster then he remembered going on Urd's Maxell Stone's driven broom. He watched as the Earth started to grow smaller and smaller and then passed the moon. Keiichi was going so fast the speed made him feel faint and dizzy until finally he succumbed to the lack of oxygen and he passed out.

Keiichi opened his eyes and found his sight with a dark haze as his eyes readjusted. Keiichi saw only white and gold as his eyes finally came back into focus as he slowly looked at the thing he landed. The ground did not feel like concrete, but stone and it was pure white marble that was glass like smooth. Small lines of gold were laced though the stones, some were small and narrow lines and connected to bigger broader lines. Keiichi slowly raised him self off the ground and wanted to look around, but as he looked up he saw someone in front of him with their hand extended to him.

"Good, you made it." A voice came from the person that extended their hand to him, Keiichi recognized the voice and looked up for a confirmation; it was Njord. Njord was squatting down in front of Keiichi and continued to extend his hand to Keiichi. Keiichi was about to take it, but as his hand reached Njord's; a mark on Njord's hand caught his attention.

The mark on Njord hand was a curious black mark and mostly consisted of many shapes forming a symbol. A square was the center of the mark and inside the square was a small dot that on two sides had small 'T' letters. Outside the square was an octagon that touched each corner, and on four sides of the octagon were shapes as well. One two sides were two triangles both of the same design, and on the opposite sides were two acute angles both measuring at about forty five degrees, but neither one of these shapes touched the octagon or the square. The only shapes that were touching the octagon was a set of acute angles similar to the ones on the sides of the octagon, but these were flipped upside down and fitted around and above the bottom line of the angles. Above these upside down acute angles was one small line that also did not touch the angles. Between the triangles and the upside down acute angles were triangles as well, but they were also upside down. On top of the upside down triangles was an obtuse angle that measured one hundred and forty five degrees. Finally after all this at the top of the original triangles a ray line went down the side of the triangle and down to the original acute angle, but did not touch either. Keiichi looked at this mark for only a few seconds, and noticed it looked more like a lock than a mark.

"Don't worry about that." Njord said closing his marked hand quickly as he helped Keiichi up from the ground. Njord brushed Keiichi's shoulders off and then turned around and then said, "Come on, your almost late."

"Late for what?" Keiichi said sounding confused at the suddenness of Njord attitude.

"Your meeting!" Njord said to Keiichi who was struggling to keep up.

"A meeting with whom?" Keiichi said looking at Njord as he rushed through the foyer of the Council Room.

"Guess!?" Njord said sounding sarcastic; Keiichi stopped dead in his tracks and Njord felt this because he stopped and looked at Keiichi. Keiichi looked back at Njord and confusion had left and animosity had settled over Keiichi face and expression.

"Why should I meet with him?" Keiichi said this with the same tone he used when confronted with Loki. Njord just stood their and read Keiichi's expression as his own mind gathered its own thoughts.

"Can I ask you something, Keiichi?" Njord asked and took a few steps forward to Keiichi and the looking into Keiichi's brown eyes he asked, "Have I-personally; ever given you a reason not to trust me?"

"No." Keiichi said after thinking about it for a moment; his tone had dropped too.

"Then just humor me ok." Njord said, but still looking into Keiichi's eyes he could see that confusion and the animosity was still inside him. "Look, I have set up a meeting with you and the Almighty and if you just talk to him and answer his questions. There is a possibility that you may not have to leave heaven alone today; ok."

Keiichi looked at Njord's eyes and saw that they were serious, and sensing that what he meant nodded in agreement. Njord smiled and turned around and lead Keiichi down the hallway and headed past a row of pillars that looked out over the whole of Heaven. Keiichi marveled again at the city he once beheld; when Loki ordered Hel to kill him, he was sent to a small hill that he could not see right know, but he could see all over heaven. Keiichi sat their and only with his memories; he only remembered Belldandy and other happy memories with her.

Now he was back in heaven, only this time he was not a spirit, but actually human. Also this time around he was no longer on a hill looking at Heaven, he was in heaven and he as being lead to one of its buildings. Keiichi followed Njord for what only felt like only a few minutes and then they both stopped at a massive gold door that towered over Njord and Keiichi. The door was like an ancient cathedral door except of wood it was gold, but had the same design, there were no handles, but as Njord got a little close to it, one door opened enough to allow someone to pass by it. Njord looked at the open door and then turned around and looked at Keiichi.

"Okay, you're on!" Njord said to Keiichi. Keiichi was a little shocked and as he walked past Njord he noticed that Njord backed away from the door.

"You're not coming with me?" Keiichi said sounding panicked, at the thought of meeting with the Almighty alone.

"This meeting was for you alone." Njord said to him in almost a whisper, but still seeing his nervousness. "Let me give you some advice, open your heart and mind to him, let him see the real you. Also, always be respectful, only speak when spoken to, and also one last thing. In the room there is a large, broad gold line that's on the floor, what ever you do; do not cross that line."

Njord winked at Keiichi and then motioned to him to go into the Council room; Keiichi turned around and saw the open door and took a massive breath and walked past the door way and into the Council room. As soon as Keiichi walked pass the doorway, the last thing he saw was Njord smiling at him and the door shut and Keiichi was all alone. Keiichi turned around and looked at the brightly lighted room that was before him, and looking down at his feet had to command them to even take steps forward. Keiichi walked down a narrow, but a high ceiling hallway that that white stone pillars along the walls of the hallway.

Keiichi walked a little further and then walked into the massive rotunda of the large circular room that was the Council Chambers of the High Council of Heaven. The pillars opened up the massive Council room that was just a semi-circular of seats and chairs that was connected around the Council room. Behind the row of the chairs was a row of massive windows with only a break every few feet of pillars. In the window was a view off all of heaven and further in the distance were the Earth and the moon, clearer than Keiichi had ever remembered seeing it on the Earth with his family.

Keiichi kept walking forward as he looked up and around the Council room, completely in awe. His gaze fixed on the sheer massiveness of the room, but also the great details that was all around the Council room. As he looked around his gaze finally made its way to the floor and he saw that a gold line was directly in front of him, less than a few inches from his feet. The gold line was very broad and wide, and also in a straight line that ran from one wall to the other. Keiichi stopped and making sure not even a hair went over the line, Keiichi dropped his gaze to the line as he lowered himself to the line and kneeled; Keiichi made sure also his eyes stayed fixed on the gold line and did not look up or around past the line.

"Morisato Keiichi." a voice came from beyond the gold line; but still Keiichi kept his gaze on the floor in front him. The voice boomed across the council room; it was a very powerful sounding voice that filled every fiber of his body. The voice was commanding, but it was not threatening voice, strangely it filled Keiichi with joy with just its sound.

"I am he." Keiichi said weakly, his voice was barely able to get higher than a whisper. Keiichi wanted to look up, but he held his gaze on the floor, trying to fix it on a small point on the floor, but he could find none on the spotless white marble floor. As he argued with his eyesight, Keiichi felt his heart and mind suddenly feel empty, like a locked door being opened and all his memories swimming freely before him.

"Your heart and your mind are open to me and I see what is contained in them." the voice of the Almighty said, still echoing off the walls. "Pain and sorrow is what fills them," Keiichi's mind saw past him, as he remember the bike wreck that he had when he and Megumi raced, suddenly he saw Loki's face when he stood before him, and the pain in his chest erupted as he saw the memory of when Hel, under Loki's orders ripped out his soul. "Loki's betrayal caused you much pain and sorrow that you needed not to suffer from," Then he saw the day when Belldandy rose into the air, and he still felt the sting from his tears as they rolled a fresh down his cheeks, and the emptiness that was felt in his heart during those first few days she was gone. "But when I ordered Belldandy to return home I inflicted more pain upon you then Loki could have."

Keiichi suddenly felt all his memories return to him except for the ones he had about Belldandy. He felt them fading from his memory, and when he tried to get them back the faster they were taken until he had no memory of her at all. Keiichi fought in his mind trying to find a memory of her, but he had nothing about her. In his heart he began to panic as he tried desperately tried to remember her for even just a moment; finally he found something. It was nothing special, but very subtle; in the memory it was actually a discussion he had gotten into with Skuld and in the memory it just had a glimpse of her hair as she worked in the kitchen. Just this simple memory of Belldandy's hair was enough for Keiichi to hold on as he finally remember Belldandy and it was a joyful memory.

"Even after I have taken all your memories of Belldandy from your mind, you fought to just hold on to a piece of her memory." The Almighty said; his voice sounded small and powerful, but also quite intrigued at the resolve that Keiichi had to try and remember her. "Belldandy meant something to you; something far beyond a simple wish." The Almighty said still speaking softly and then said, "Tell me, what was it?"

Keiichi stayed knelt before the Almighty, he still gazed at the floor and would not even dare and try and move his eyes. Inside his mind, he was able to take just a memory of Belldandy's hair and like a painter; he painted a mental picture of Belldandy smiling at him. This mental image of Belldandy; filled Keiichi's heart with joy and filled every fiber of his being with happiness. Keiichi's mind tried to think about what he was going to say to the Almighty, but his mouth just opened and he spoke what was in his heart.

"I can not hide the fact that I was skeptical when she first came out of the mirror and told me that she would grant any wish I want." Keiichi began, as the memories of Belldandy slowly began to return to him, but not all. "When I made my wish, I did not think it would be granted, but as time went by and I got to spend more time with her and we grew with each other and on each other, she became more then just a Goddess to me. Belldandy became the best friend I ever could ever have, and what ever may happen to me, as long as she was with me I would gladly face it."

"Thank you, Morisato Keiichi." The Almighty said to Keiichi. Keiichi still looked at the floor, but his gaze went to his hand as it began to fade out of his sight. Keiichi felt his body disappear and rising into the air as the gold line got small and more of the Council came into view. "I must now speak to another and I ask that you remain silent as I do." Keiichi heard these words from the Almighty as Keiichi finally evaporated and settled on a slab of marble above the hallway that lead into the Council room.

Keiichi looked around from his vantage point above the whole council room, waiting on who ever he had to meet with. Suddenly the door to the Council room opened and a woman walked inside that Keiichi could not see from the bright light that was outside. When the door closed, the light died out, but Keiichi could see who it was and his heart soared as he saw Belldandy below him. She walked towards him and then underneath him, and past him without even stopping him or even a notice that he was there. Keiichi's heart dropped into his stomach as she stopped at the gold line and knelt before the Almighty.

"Belldandy." The Almighty's voice sounded again, but instead of being booming and echoing off the walls it was soft and whispery. Keiichi could barely hear him, and could not even hear Belldandy's response as she gave her response. Keiichi closed his eyes and tried over and over again to try and hear them talking, but to no avail. Finally after a while of trying over and over he finally heard something from the Almighty.

"You chose to stay with the human even thought you had more than one chance to leave." Keiichi heard the Almighty; his voice was clear and was booming as when he was speaking with Keiichi. "Why did you stay?"

"My reason is simple My Lord." Belldandy said her voice soft as she spoke to the Almighty. "I wanted to stay with him not because of the contract I had with him but it was because I love Keiichi-san."

"But you hold a deeper reason inside you Belldandy." The Almighty said to Belldandy; Belldandy was silent for a moment and then continued.

"He was nothing like some of the other humans that I had met or even heard of, but the more I got to know him I grew to love him and he became a very special person to me. He always did his best and he would never give up, even in the face of almost impossible odds. He also did his best to help us and protect us from any harm that would come to us." Belldandy finished with her head still lowered before the Almighty; the Almighty was quiet for a long time.

"You really did love him, didn't you?" The Almighty said; Keiichi's noticed a change in the tone of his voice. Unlike his booming voice that had shook Keiichi's soul to its core; his voice was more subtle, and understanding.

"I still do, my Lord!" Belldandy simply whispered, but the strength in her tone was felt by even Keiichi who was still only a wisp of air.

Keiichi, who looked down at her from his high vantage point, felt her words pour through him as if he was solid. As he looked at Belldandy, Keiichi suddenly felt heavier as he suddenly began to drop slowly from his vantage point near the hallway of the rotunda. As landed on the marble floor and instantaneously his body reformed into its original state, Keiichi felt his blood flow through his veins, his heart pumping and felt better than he had in a long time. Keiichi still kept his eyes on Belldandy as he landed on the marble floor, but she still did not see him or even notice him.

"Belldandy!" The Almighty announce as his voice returned to the booming voice that Keiichi had first heard.

"Yes, My Lord?" Belldandy said, her head turning up and looking at were the voice was coming from.

"Arise and behold what you seek." The Almighty said; Belldandy stood up and then slowly turning around, she finally saw Keiichi. All time seemed to stop as both Keiichi and Belldandy laid eyes on each other; Keiichi watched as tears began to swell up in Belldandy's eyes as they were filled with both shock and happiness. Keiichi was also trying to hold in the tears of joy that was brewing inside him, all the feeling in his body returned as his memories of her also returned to him.

"Keiichi-san." Belldandy simply whispered, it was so quiet that Keiichi barely heard it with his own ears. She put one foot in front of the other and ran to him; Keiichi finally finding his own feet ran to her.

Keiichi and Belldandy meet near the archway to the massive rotunda and there embraced each other. Keiichi wrapped his arms around her shoulder's and held her tightly and would not even dare think of letting go of her. Keiichi felt her warmth escape from her and filled his body with so much joy and happiness that he could never find the words to express how he felt. The tears in Keiichi's in eyes finally escaped and everything came out of his heart as he held on to her.

Keiichi and Belldandy held onto to each other for what felt like an eternity and then finally pulled away form each other, but did not let go of each other. Keiichi looked into her deep blue eyes that were still flowing with joy that matched the tears that still were still inside her. Before Keiichi could even think twice about it, or even argue it; he leaned towards Belldandy and put his lips on hers. Keiichi kissed Belldandy for a good five seconds and then he found his head, and then pulled away; he looked at the embarrassed, blushing face that was on Belldandy's face.

"I-I-I'm S-soo-sorr-sorry." Keiichi stuttered for a second and then felt Belldandy warm hands touch his cheeks. Keiichi looked up at her eyes, and then she leaned towards him and then she pressed her own lips against his. Keiichi's whole body felt electricity as it coursed through his body as he closed his eyes. Keiichi wrapped his arms back around Belldandy and felt weightless as the ground underneath him disappeared and it was only him and Belldandy together as her lips still pressed against his lips. He felt himself floating in the air as suspended in the air and the only thing he felt was Belldandy's soft skin and her lips still pressing against his.

Keiichi felt the ground under his feet again, but he still would not open his eyes as Belldandy finally pulled away from him. Keiichi finally opened his eyes; Belldandy was still leaning into him, her lips and face was lightly touching the side of his face. Both Keiichi and Belldandy were looking into each other eyes, and both were smiling at each other. Belldandy looked at Keiichi and then her face dropped for a moment and then still holding Keiichi's hand in hers; she turned to the Almighty.

"My Lord, may I ask a question." Belldandy asked, still holding Keiichi's hand in hers.

"You may." The Almighty said his voice was sounding curious.

"Why did you separate us?" Belldandy asked sounding still respectful to the Almighty; Keiichi was now curious as he had wondered also. The Almighty did not say anything for a long time, but after a few minutes he finally broke the silence.

"When Loki ordered Hel to kill Morisato Keiichi, you felt his soul being ripped out and you reacted to it." The Almighty said, "In your anguish we felt a power surge that grew so powerful it almost broke the seals, and if you had broken the seals you would have destroyed half the Earth." The Almighty went silent again for a moment and then spoke up, "I became concerned for your well-being, I was afraid that if this had happened again, would you be able to contain yourself, or would I have to. I had become fearful of the bond that had grown between both of you. I ordered you back to heaven and I had the intention of separating both of you-" The Almighty said, and then a massive booming sound announced the great doors to the Council room had closed. Keiichi and Belldandy both turned around and saw Njord walking towards them, but he stopped at the archway to the rotunda.

"-, but Njord did not approve of my decision and asked that I meet with both of you before I made my final ruling. Njord told me that if I just looked into each of your hearts and minds I would find the love that both of you had for each other and I did."

Njord stood at the far end of the hallway; he was barely visible in the distance as he looked on with a sheepish smile. Njord folded his hands across his chest as he looked at them; Njord's eyes reflected the joy he had inside for them. Keiichi looked at him for a moment and then noticed also something else in his eyes that Njord was trying to hide from them.

"Njord come forward, and do your duty." The Almighty spoke up to Njord. Njord bowed and walked out of the hallway and then towards Belldandy and Keiichi and took each of them by the hand. He put them together and then clasped his two hands around them holding them together as a low chant came from his mouth. As the chant continued a small glow of light grew form inside the hands and light up the Council room. After only a few seconds of the light, Njord's low chant ended and he pulled away his hands from Keiichi and Belldandy's hands and revealed a small mark on the joints of their left thumb.

The mark was not as unique as Njord's mark on his hand; it was much simpler than that. A small cross was on his hand and had two dots that were diagonally across form each other. Horizontally across form each other was two lines that ran one on top of the each other, but neither touch each other or the lines of the cross. One diagonally line connected one dot form the other and ran trough the middle of the connection line that crossed at the cross.

"These marks are a reminder to yourselves of your bond that you have to each other, and it is also a promise to both of you. Never again will heaven separate both of you, unless by your own actions and words." Njord said solemnly in an audible whisper as he took a step back from them to let them look at the marks. "Only you two can see them and only if both of you remain true to each other."

Keiichi and Belldandy looked at the marks and then at each other, and then turned to walk out of the Chamber room. Njord did not turn to follow them out, but turned around and looked back towards the Almighty. The Almighty said to him, "Stand before me!"

Njord walked away from Keiichi and Belldandy and walked back up to the Gold line and kneeled before the line. Njord's head was lowered so low his chin was touching his chest and he closed his eyes and waited for the Almighty. The Almighty's footstep echoed through out the Council room as he approached the kneeling Njord. He stopped and then took a breath and then his voice echoed through out the chamber as he spoke to Njord.

"Njord, it was the will of heaven to separate the Goddess Belldandy, from the human Morisato Keiichi and you went against this will. This falls under the charge of insubordination and I can not allow this to past, and I must pronounce sentence upon you." The Almighty said; Keiichi felt his heart drop with the words, 'charge and pronounce sentence' were uttered by the Almighty. "Do you have anything to say before I pass your sentence?"

"What I have done, I have done and I will carry this on my shoulders." Njord said and then went silent with lowering his head a little lower.

"Then I will pass judgment upon you Njord," The Almighty said to Njord; Belldandy and Keiichi could only stand in horror as the Almighty opened his mouth and his voice echoed off the walls and was heard throughout heaven. "Njord for the charge of insubordination, you are hereby stripped of your seat on the High Council of heaven and are also hereby stripped of your title as, 'Lord!' You are further banished from the realm of heaven and will be confined to the Earth." The Almighty stopped speaking for a moment and then sighed and then continued, "But as you did not do this to further your own powers or rank; I will allow you to retain your Element, along with all the responsibilities and duties. Furthermore, you will remain with Belldandy and Keiichi until the day they are truly separated. Upon that day you will be allowed to return to this realm and reclaim all that was stripped from you. This is your judgment and the matter is closed."

Njord rose from his knees and then turned around to face Belldandy and Keiichi; they had expected to see him distraught. They were more shocked to see his reaction to his judgment; Njord was actually calm and even gave them a reassuring smile. Njord walked silently pass them and then Belldandy and Keiichi turned and followed Njord out the doors. After the doors closed Belldandy looked at her friend who had stopped and leaned next to a pillar in the foyer and looked over the heavens. Belldandy took a few steps ahead of Keiichi and then said, "Njord, I'm so sorry!"

"I am too!" Keiichi said, as guilt overcame him as the Almighty's words echoed over and over in his head.

Njord stood up straight and then turned around and looked at Belldandy and Keiichi. He could see in their eyes the guilt they were feeling in their hearts, and the pain it was cutting into their souls. Njord took a step towards them and then folded his arms and looking at both of them he spoke to them.

"What I have done, I have done and I will carry this on my shoulders." Njord said in a very gentle, reassuring tone. He smiled as he repeated to them what he had said to the Almighty and then added to them, "This was my choice, and I knew that this could be one of the consequences, and I will not accept any of you trying to carry this on yourself; this was my choice and mine alone."

Njord smiled as he looked at them and then turned around and looked over the heavens again. He looked for only a few more minutes and then with Belldandy and Keiichi with him, they walked to an open platform in heaven and then Keiichi's eyes darken and heaven disappeared from his view.

When Keiichi's eyes readjusted he found himself in front of the Tariki Hongan Temple and looking around he saw the house. He looked around but he did not see Belldandy or Njord; Keiichi started to panic but in an instant he felt a hand on his left shoulder. Keiichi turned around and it was Urd who was standing there smiling and then said, "Welcome back, lover boy!" Keiichi put on a smile, but his anxiety was still bellowing inside of him as he looked around for any sign of Belldandy or Njord.

"If you're looking for Belldandy she just arrived in the temple." Urd said, Keiichi looked back at Urd with a confused look on his face and then remembered.

"Oh, she needs a mirror to teleport." Keiichi said to himself turning red from embarrassment as he had forgotten that fact. Keiichi looked at Urd who had a wicked smile on her face; Keiichi just smiled and ignored her and ran up the stairs of the temple.

Belldandy was standing and talking to Skuld and Peorth when Keiichi came into the temple. Peorth had set down a mirror that she was holding as Skuld hugged her sister with a massive smile across her face. Keiichi tired to back away, but Peorth spotted him and then said in her French sounding tone, "Where do you think you're going, runaway!" Belldandy and Skuld looked at Keiichi as Keiichi face turned to a shade of magma and all the air in his lungs escaped and all Peorth and Skuld could do is just stare at him.

With a sudden brush of the wind from inside the temple it drew their attention away from Keiichi. The wind swirled around and around until Njord finally materialized before them as the winds he created died out. Njord's eyes opened and his arms went back to being folded across his chest; Keiichi noticed that the gloves were back across his hands again. Njord looked around the room at the Goddesses and Keiichi and then smiled and then said, "Well it looks like we are all here!" Njord turned and looked at them for a second and then he announced to them, "As of right now I am the newest tenant at the house."

"What happened?" Skuld asked Njord as Peorth and Urd looked at Njord and then Keiichi and Belldandy. Belldandy and Keiichi turned their heads down and remained silent as Njord spoke up.

"Belldandy and Keiichi are allowed to remain together but I am to remain with them until the day they are truly separated." Njord said still sounding calm about the whole thing, which was something that Keiichi probably never would understand.

"He kicked you out of heaven?" Urd said shocked; Njord just nodded

"Did he strip you of your title?" Peorth asked from the shock at this news.

"I am allowed to remain an Element and I will still keep my powers." Njord explained to Peorth and the other Goddesses that were not present at the meeting.

Before anyone could ask anything else a sudden, loud scream erupted from outside in the temple grounds. Everybody ran outside the temple and looked over the temple grounds and saw Banpei-kun and Sigel approaching a man who stood ready to fight them. The man was old and had only a brown robe over him and had a round straw hat that covered his bald head and used his wooden walking stick as weapon ready to do combat against Banpei and Sigel. Everyone looked out at the man and then it was Belldandy who recognized him, "Keiichi, it's the monk!"

"SIGEL! BANPEI! STAND DOWN!" Keiichi yelled at the top of his lungs as he and Belldandy ran down the stairs of the temple. The monk, Banpei and Sigel looked at everyone and lowered there weapons and backed away from the monk to allow Keiichi and Belldandy to approach the monk.

"I'm so sorry about that Monk!" Keiichi said as he and Belldandy bowed to the monk.

"Well, I was just admiring how happy the grounds have been when this-uh-doll!" The monk said, pointing at Sigel. "Asked me who I was, and I guess I didn't give a good enough answer and then the other one came around and then they attacked me."

"Well we are very sorry." Belldandy said; Skuld looked at Banpei and Sigel.

"Don't be, I was quite impressed with them." The monk said, sounding quite cheerful. "I can feel that the temple has been quite happy since I left it in your care all those years ago. I had just traveled for so long I wanted to see what it looked like and I am quite satisfied at the care you gave it."

"Well we did our best." Keiichi said to the monk.

"But if I may ask?" the monk asked Keiichi and then pointing to the others standing about a few feet behind Keiichi and Belldandy. "Who are they?" Keiichi and Belldandy turned around and before they could say anything Njord spoke up. He pointed to Urd first and introduced them to the monk.

"This is Urd and Skuld; they are Belldandy's sisters." Njord said who was standing ahead of the group; he as pointing to everyone as he continued, "This is Peorth who is a friend of Belldandy's." Njord then took a step forward and looked at the monk.  
"My name is Njord; I'm an old friend of Belldandy's." Njord said sounding calm as he made the announcement and then he bowed to the monk. "We have heard much about you monk, most particularly about how you gave Keiichi and Belldandy a place to live."

"Yes I did, any who is allowed to stay by the temple are welcome to remain." The monk said returning the bow to Njord who walked over to the monk. "Even those who currently reside at this temple may stay."

"You have our gratitude, from my understanding; you left it to them as you went in search of the power that Belldandy had accomplished." Njord said sounding a little cheeky but gentle.

"Yes I did." The monk said sounding confused and wondered what Njord was getting at; Njord took a step closer to the monk.

"An old lesson you were taught was that when someone does something for someone, they should be rewarded. You have my gratitude and I wish to show my appreciation." Njord said. The Monk nodded to Njord and bowed to him; Njord did not return the bow but instead he raised his right hand rested it on the monk's forehead. The monk jumped slightly in surprise as a strong warm breeze encompassed the monk and Njord. Beneath Njord's feet a blue light radiated around the monk and Njord as their clothes fluttered in the breeze as it continued to swirl around them for a minute.

When the wind had finally died out; Njord and the monk reappeared and looked the same as they had. Njord slowly pulled his hand away form the monks head and revealed a small blue dot that was now on the monk's forehead. Njord held his hand still open towards the monk as a pool of water formed a small disk in his hand and he held it like a mirror. The monk gasped as he saw the mark on his forehead and then ran his finger over the mark to feel the mark.

"With this mark you are now a friend of the Elements, the waters will heal all pain and the wind will give you comfort and both will be there to give you speed and strength." Njord announced to the monk as the mirror disappeared and Njord lowered his hand from the monk, but not his smile.

"Thank you, Njord-san!" the monk said as he bowed to Njord. Njord smiled at the monk and bowed to him as well, when he rose up Njord spoke up to him as well.

"Forgive me, Monk. I must intrude upon your generosity once again and ask for your permission to allow all who are before you to remain here a little longer." Njord asked sounding completely respectful. The monk looked up at Njord with a shocked look on his face and then smiled.

"As long as the temple will allow it all that are here may remain." The monk said to Njord.

"I am in your debt once again, Monk." Njord said bowing back to the monk and then retreated back towards where Urd, Peorth and Skuld were standing.

The monk stood up and looked again at the temple and then holding on to his walking stick a little tighter. The monk turned towards Keiichi and Belldandy and said, "This temple is still in your care!" He turned around and started to walk away, but Keiichi asked him.

"Monk, where are you going?" Keiichi asked confused as to why the monk was leaving; Keiichi was not the only one, only Belldandy and Njord knew why he was leaving. The monk turned around and smiled at all of them.

"When some one gives you a gift, you do not hold it for only yourself. You allow it to grow inside yourself and then you give it to others so they can savor the joy as you have felt from the gift." The monk said and then turning around again, he walked the steps and vanished from their sight.

Everyone looked at the empty path to the street as the monk vanished from there sight, only the sound of his sandals grinding along the sidewalk signaled his progress. Banpei and Sigel turned around and walked back over to the house and in a minute Urd and Skuld followed. Peorth then followed afterwards as she went back into temple to get the mirror, leaving only Belldandy, Keiichi and Njord alone in the grounds. Njord, Keiichi, and Belldandy sat outside on the porch looking at the sun setting.

"Well, tomorrow is a new day and a fresh start." Njord said to both of them.

"Yep." Keiichi said in agreement.

"Although there is still one problem we need to figure out." Njord said standing up and folding his arms, he sounded quite serious.

"What's that Njord?" Belldandy asked sounding concerned from the tone of his voice.

Njord turned around and then looking at the house for a minute he looked at both of them and asked, "Where am I going sleep?" He finished the sentence with a smile and a small laugh that both Belldandy and Keiichi joined in, the laugh could be heard all over the grounds.

The End.

With this story! 

You made it this far, YEAH, thank you! Since you made it this far I wanted to let you know, I am writing one more story with Njord and make it a trilogy. I thank you for reading and I promise that I will work hard on it. Thanks again for reading and please review.


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